When the Gods Came to Sunnydale
by Iluva
Summary: The Hellmouth has attracted demons, vampires, all kinds of mystical creatures. it was only a matter of time before the gods took notice... The huntress Diana has come to Sunnydale, why is she following the Slayer? Set during college days, In that little window where Buffy works for the Initiative and Spike is a micro-chipped ally.
1. Chapter 1

Dee shifted the backpack on her shoulder and took another look around the university campus. Finding Buffy Summers among the throng would have been very difficult. But she had a flawless class schedule and a recent photograph thanks to her sister. She and Thea may not get along often but for the right reasons, Thea was invaluable.

And while it might not be necessary, Dee was even registered as a student. ASB card, high school transcripts, the works. As long as no one had any reason to dig very far, she would have no problems.

For each class she shared with Buffy, Dee sat in the back and paid half a mind to the lecture while she studied the back of Buffy's head. Or Willow's. Anything she could learn might be useful. She even followed close behind them between a couple classes but their conversation was normal.

The only times she had to worry about drawing attention to herself was when she was invoked. She usually blocked them out since there were too many to answer them all, but sometimes there were a few that seemed interesting enough to assist. She would watch Willow perk up with each surge and look around and Dee would lower her head and scribble on her notebook until Willow looked away.

Dee learned very little about the Slayer on her first day and looked forward to the gymnastics tryout. She easily made the varsity team. She took the practice schedule and brushed off some of the girls who tried to introduce themselves.

"Bitch," they said as she walked away.

Dee was impatient to finish her task in Sunnydale but Slayers were a new kind of prey and they needed to be studied before she should take any action. She also needed to study the terrain. Sunnydale was a dangerous town and Dee had actually avoided it for years. Not that she feared danger, but magic had complicated her life before and too many creatures were attracted to the Hellmouth. And while she was in touch with Thea at the moment, Dee was worried about running into a relative while she was in town. And she had never enjoyed family drama.

Around the campus she noticed some of the students checking her out. She was careful to casually show the ring on her left hand and hoped it would be a good enough deterrent but there were usually a few who would probably approach her anyway.

When classes were over she followed Buffy to her dorm and then went home, herself. Dee studied her homework until nightfall and dressed to go out. She looked like a modern ninja armed with crossed short blades at her back and a short bow and arrows between them. It was time to take a look at the town.

Shadows were plentiful and her hunting skills were unrivalled. She explored a section of the town and and noted the type and number of creatures she saw. She even found a couple dens. She tried to observe only but a few times she could not help but be noticed and and beheaded two vampires and shot one demon.

Daylight came and Dee went home to change into her student clothes and repeat the day before. She watched other students yawn and sip their morning coffee and she shook her head. What pitiful creatures humans were.


	2. Chapter 2

After six weeks Dee had the entire town memorized. She knew the names of the major supernatural entities and their principle dens and knew there was something militant with back entrances on the university campus though she didn't know the name of the group or their purpose. She could point out several of the members in many of her classes and had watched them "bag and tag" minor fledgling supernaturals. Dee had a few wry thoughts about what would happen if she allowed herself to be captured. But none of that was important.

At school she was a perfect student, even taking on the extra credit projects and she was the star of the gymnastics team. She also had the reputation for being antisocial and the biggest Ice Bitch in existence.

And finally she was ready for the next phase. She just hoped that it wasn't too late. After class she walked into the Magic Shop Giles, Willow, Xander, and Anya were at work in a corner and they fell silent when they saw her.

Dee smiled at them and perused the shelves as casually as her desperate heart would allow. Giles walked over and the others started whispering about her, comparing information.

"Can I help you?" Giles asked.

"Just looking." Dee smiled at him and turned away. She had obviously interrupted something but she couldn'tafford to overlook her prize.

"Maybe I can assist you to find what you're looking for."

"I thought this was a shop." Dee said in an irritated tone.

"It is," Giles said defensively.

"Then let me shop. I'll let you know if I need something."

Everyone else exchanged looks and Xander mouthed "Ice Bitch."

And there, behind the glass of a locked cabinet, in the back, half hidden by an amulet of invisibility, she found it. Dee barely contained her relief.

"Excuse me," she said, turning to Giles but keeping her hands on the glass. "Can I take a look at that dagger?"

"Which dagger?" Giles nervously unlocked the case and reached for a petty Blade of Woe.

"No, that one." Dee itched to snatch it but Giles held it without handing it over. It was definitely the one. It had a new handle, carved from a demon's horn and stained with blood and new runes were scratched down the jagged blade but it was the one she'd been searching for. The dagger she had tracked for eight centuries, thought was destroyed and had surfaced in a vampire cult in Sunnydale. Where Buffy the Vampire Slayer had taken the artifact as loot.

"I'm sorry, but this is not for sale." Giles started to put it back.

"Name a price." Dee sounded more desperate than she meant to and took an involuntary stop forward. Everyone was staring and she purposefully relaxed her stance and smiled. "I mean, it's so pretty. I'm sure it's expensive. But I know I can afford it." If she had to empty every bank in the state, she would find a way to afford it.

"Pretty," Giles echoed, watching her. "Why are you so desperate to buy it?"

Dee thought about dropping the human act and telling the truth but doubted it would help.

"Why not? I thought you said this was a shop, not a museum." A museum would be safer to break into. Museums only had humans and technology. Magic shops had powerful artifacts and vengeful patrons. Even she was not immune to angry warlocks.

"Even so, there are a few items that aren't for sale." Giles returned the dagger to the case and Dee stared at it longingly. It was within her reach. She watched him lock the case and felt a strong tug at her essence.

Willow was reading from a book in Latin. "Great Diana, bless this talisman with your gift of love." Dee rejected the request so firmly that the crystal set in the talisman cracked loudly, making everyone else at the table jump.

"Oh my, maybe I'm more tired than I thought," Willow said. "It seemed like an easy spell to practice."

Dee walked stiffly over and leaned on the table between Xander and Anya to face Willow.

"Why are you invoking the name of Diana for a petty love talisman? Why not Venus? She is much more appropriate."

Willow was flustered and looked at the others, who were staring open mouthed at Dee.

"Well… you see, the Wiccans worship the Triple Goddess not so much the Roman gods and Diana is the goddess of love and…"

"You think the virgin goddess is the patron of love? She hates even the sight of men. Why would she encourage love?"

"Not all love is between a man and a…"

"She is completely celibate! Why do you think your spells never work?" Dee knocked the talisman onto the floor.

"Hey!" Anya said.

Willow was speechless.

"If you won't ask Venus, at least turn to Luna. Of the three, she's the most likely to patronize your pathetic love spells."

Dee was halfway to the door before Willow found her voice. "How do you know so much…" the door slammed shut "…about the Triple Goddess?"

"That was… weird," said Xander.

Anya looked at Giles. "What do you think that was about?"

"I don't know." Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them. He did it when he needed a moment to think. "What do you know about her?"

"She goes to the college," said Willow. "I think she's on the gymnastics team, but she mostly keeps to herself."

"Is she new to town?"

"I think so. I've never seen her before."

Xander piped in, "you left out the best part. At work I hear the guys talk about her. She's such a bitch that she won't talk to anyone."

"She was wearing a ring," Anya said. "Maybe she's engaged or married."

"That doesn't mean she can't talk to anyone."

"Well she obviously thinks she knows more about magic than our Willow," said Giles. "We may have a new witch in town. Perhaps you should try to find out more about her while I try to learn more about the dagger she wanted so badly. And someone should warn Buffy that there is another danger in Sunnydale."


	3. Chapter 3

Dee marched home, grabbed her bow and arrows and shot at the target in her back yard until nightfall. Then she dressed in her usual nightsuit and snuck over to the Magic Shop.

Every entrance was warded with alarm and protection spells. She climbed to a high window and blew on her fingertips. There was no need to incant or invoke herself. The magic simply flowed from her essence onto the ward points and dissolved them with a quiet hiss. The window opened and Dee snuck down the stairs on the alert for more wards.

The case was also guarded with powerful spells but these also dissolved, albeit with a louder sound. She opened the door with a creak and reached for the dagger.

It was gone.

She felt around and searched the other shelves but it wasn't there. She turned around, thinking to look for it when the lights came on.

Dee blinked a couple times and saw Buffy standing by the front door. Willow dropped the spell of undetection and the others appeared beside her.

"We figured the front door would be the only entrance you wouldn't use," Buffy said, full of attitude and confidence. "Looking for this?" she held up the dagger. "Or are you looking for me? Or both?"

Buffy looked at the dagger and stepped forward. "you know, it's hard to kill a Slayer. But this is a very special dagger. But you know that already, don't you? The God-Killer. There is nothing in any dimension that this thing can't destroy."

Dee took two steps back up the stairs as Buffy came closer.

"You should fear it. It works just as well on witches. Now tell me why I shouldn't kill you," Buffy said.

Dee's eyes flitted everywhere in the room, calculating faster than a chess player on a timer. But most options ended in death or capture and none included retrieving the dagger.

Dee growled in frustration and leapt backward, bending onto the stairs and kicking Buffy in the jaw, knocking her back. Her legs swung over her onto a higher step and only skill and a well timed push with her arms let her complete an impossible back flip up a flight of stairs.

She turned to the open window and found it blocked by a platinum blonde vampire. "Hello, sweetheart," he said.

A crossbow bolt sank into the wall beside her and she dove into the vampire, sending them both to the ground one story below. Spike grunted as she landed on him but he still grabbed her when she tried to stand. The bell above the door range and Dee knew the others were coming. She kicked Spike's face and he let go, giving her time to sprint down the street and around a corner.

Buffy and Spike were after her with their supernatural speed and endurance but she still outpaced them and her knowledge of the streets let her high jump to a fire escape and quietly climb out of sight before they ran past below her.

She lost track of them when they rounded a corner and she sat down on the roof to catch her breath. She could stay on the rooftops for a while and work her way closer to her house. Spike would have to leave for the day and the others had to sleep or work. There would have to be a time whe could get inside her house without being seen.

Dee could always leave her house alone and never return to it, but part of her felt this was part of the hunt, to out wait and sneak past her own hunters to get back to her den.

She found a nice vantage point in a tree that gave her a good view, not of her house, but of the places to watch her house. And she found Buffy. Spike must have already left.

A limb creaked and she had an arrow cocked and aimed at Spike's chest within a heartbeat. He froze on the branch above her and Dee studied him for a long time without moving.

"I just want to talk," he said.

"About what?"

He shrugged. "The God-Slayer. And why you want it. You don't seem that evil to me. You had a lot of opportunities to hurt a lot of people to get that dagger but here you are, sitting in a tree, without it, listening to a vampire who was sneaking up on you a moment ago."

"How's your nose?"

Spike touched it with the back of his hand to check for blood. "Pity," he said when his hand came away clean. "I've had worse." He nodded at the bow still pointed at him. "Are you going to put that away yet?"

Dee relaxed the string but kept the arrow nocked and her hands in position.

"You're a trusting sort," he said, climbing closer and sitting down.

"You certainly are," Dee nodded toward Buffy without looking away from him.

He chuckled.

"What?" she asked.

"You look like a bloody ninja." He saw her eyes crinkle. "Let's see that smile. Come on," he said. "Everyone else knows what you look like."

"Humans know. Not any of the night life of Sunnydale."

"True. But now I know where you live. And if I can't trust you, I might need to ask a few friends to keep an eye on you." He gave her an apologetic smile.

She hesitantly brought her right hand up to untie her mask though her left kept the arrow in place. In a swift motion she pulled it off over her head.

"Not bad," Spike said.

"Meanwhile you look like a bleached Ken doll."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment. Now, to business. Why are you here?"

"I'm not here to hurt your girlfriend. I just want the dagger and then I'll leave."

"She's not my…" Spike decided to let it go without arguing. "The God-Killer, eh? I bet you could to a lot of damage with that."

"It's done enough damage since I lost it. It's not safe in the hands of humans, not even the Vampire Slayer. I need to take it somewhere no one else can steal it."

"What are you, if you're not human?"

"That's none of your business."

"I'd like to know if I can go bragging about how I spent a night in a tree with the goddess Diana."

Dee stared at him.

"Oh, come on," he said. "Dee? Throwing a fit in the shop earlier over Willow's love spell? The bow, the gymnastics? You may as well wear a sign."

"So everyone knew?"

"They're human. They're pretty thick. But if you told them who you were, I bet they'd hand it over."

"Then you are very naïve for a vampire your age. Or maybe domestication has affected your mind."

"I am not domesticated!" Spike clenched his jaw. "But maybe you have a point." He looked her over and unconsciously pouted his mouth. "Maybe I could get that dagger for you." He moved closer. "For a price."

"I despise men. If you know me well enough to recognize me, you should know that."

"I'm not a man. Not anymore."

"Does the Virgin Goddess not mean anything anymore?"

"Maybe I feel sorry for you. Maybe I want to show you what you've been missing." He was on her branch and his eyes were fixed on her mouth as he leaned closer.

Dee pulled out a knife and stopped him by pressing it to his throat. "I could kill you."

"But you won't." He moved her hand away.

Dee's anger rose but then she had a fun thought. She looked at his mouth and leaned toward him just a little.

He smiled.

"I guess," she said, breathlessly, "I'm just afraid you'll get hurt."

They were so close they could feel each other's breath and she clocked him on the cheek so hard he fell off the branch. By the time he caught himself a few feet below, she had run down the limb, jumped onto a roof and was making her moonlit way through the neighborhood.

Spike smiled and watched her go. "I love a challenge," he said.


	4. Chapter 4

Dee came back at dawn and didn't see anyone watching the house. She snuck in, changed and packed a large duffel bag. She needed a new base before she could come up with the next step to get the God-Killer. So she abandoned the house and took to the street, thinking as she walked.

Crises were always happening in Sunnydale. She might be able to take advantage of some apocalyptic plan to recover the dagger while Buffy and Company were distracted. She saw Dawn walking ahead of her down the street. Or maybe a good, old-fashioned ransom.

Dawn walked into a coffee shop on her way to school and Dee started to go in after her.

"Hey-a, sis."

Dee's hand let go of the door and she turned to look at Mars.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Hey! No need for that kind of language… How about a hug for your big brother?" But his eyes wandered down her toned body. "What's in the bag?"

"Your fighting skills. You lost them over three millenia ago." Dee walked away and Mars stepped into place next to her.

"Ouch! You know," he slipped his hand onto her butt. "I think we got off on the wrong foot." He blinked and his energy pulsed as he granted a request for power. When he opened his eyes, Dee had a knife at his groin.

She smiled at him and sliced the fabric just a little. "Don't touch me."

Mars removed his hand. "I just wanted to see if you had relaxed at all. But I see you're just as frigid and violent as ever."

Dee turned into an alley and dropped the bag. She turned to Mars and crossed her arms. "What… are… you… doing… here?" she asked.

"I've been hearing some great things about Hellmouth but it's taken me a while to gather up some vacation days to come check it out."

"Is there any reason why you're here now?"

"Maybe. Why are you here?"

"I've never hunted a Slayer before. It's fun. She's a challenge."

"So I hear." Mars licked his lips. "There are a lot of battles going on at Hellmouth. I'm thinking about signing up for one or two, coming up."

"Don't forget to give Thea a call. Or Vulcan. Or… wait. Is there anyone who hasn't kicked your ass?"

"That was a long time ago, sis. I've learned a few new tricks. I would say I would be the winning edge on any side I chose. But listen, if I get my hands on the Slayer, I'll hold onto her for you."

He reached out to slap her butt but she stuck out the knife and he stopped his hand.

"You haven't changed a bit." He winked and walked away. "See you around."

"Mars?"

"Yeah?"

"Who else is here?"

Mars just smiled and walked back onto the street.


	5. Chapter 5

Dee didn't go to class that day but waited for Buffy and Willow to return to the shop. She followed them in and tossed her bag onto a table. They stared at her as she put her hands on her hips.

"You have a big problem," she said.

"Buffy!" Willow tossed a sword to Buffy and Dee forced herself to keep still as Buffy put the swordtip in her face and said,

"You mean besides you? Where's your fancy fighting now?"

"I'm here to warn you."

"Oh yeah? What about?"

"The gods are back in town."

Buffy and Willow looked at each other, Giles stepped forward from behind the counter and Anya and Xander joined them.

"What does that mean?" Buffy asked.

"I saw Mars and he would only be here if a big fight were coming."

"When you say Mars, you mean the god of war?" Giles asked. "In Sunnydale?"

Dee nodded. "And there are probably more. I don't know what's coming, but I'll help you if you give me the God-Killer."

"That would be the perfect weapon!" Xander said.

"It's too risky. If anyone disarms you, they have it. But wherever you have it, you need to make sure it's completely safe. They might not know it's here but you have to make sure that no one gets it, even if all of Hellmouth burns."

Xander shuddered. "Creepy."

Buffy lowered the sword. "Who are you?"

"My name is Dee."

"Okay, what are you? Why should we trust you?"

Dee sighed and looked at Willow. "Willow knows me as Diana."

"You're Diana? The Diana?" Willow got up and walked up to her. "The goddess Diana? How can that be?" Willow touched Dee's arm. "I always pictured you… you know… shiny. And big. Were you cursed into human form? Can they do that?"

"Legends get exaggerated. But I'm the one who gets interrupted every time one of you witches invokes me."

"Prove it," Buffy said.

"Prove that I'm a goddess? No."

"Aha!" Xander shouted. "Now let's kick her out before she talks her way into joining us and betraying us later on."

Dee glared at him. "Rabbit." In a puff of smoke, Xander was turned into a rabbit and hopped around on the floor. Anya shrieked and jumped onto the table. Willow was impressed and immediately started gushing praise.

Buffy shouted, "Turn him back!"

"Human."

Xander reappeared on all fours and stood back up, a little flustered. Anya climbed down on the far side fo the table from him and gave him a half hearted smile.

"She didn't need any components or runes or glyphs and she didn't invoke any… well I guess you wouldn't need to invoke yourself… Can you help me with my spells?"

"Call on Hecate or Selene instead of me and your spells will get much better."

"But why is that? Aren't there some spells…"

"Willow," Buffy interrupted. "Later."

"Sorry."

Buffy turned back to Dee. "Well, Diana, what do you want us to do?"

"Call me Dee. And first we need to find out why Mars is here and whether he was alone. Send your pet to ask around the demon clubs but don't expect too much. Most everyone knows he's in your pocket. I'll look around, too. I'll come back if I learn anything. And you know where to find me." Dee picked up her bag and left.

There was a beat and then everyone made a scramble for the books on Roman mythology.


	6. Chapter 6

Dee went back to classes, easily making up for the lost day and at night walked into the demon clubs that she'd scoped out. She mostly searched the crowds for familiar faces because without fail a demon would get grabby and she'd have to leave after the fight.

On the third night she was standing a block away from the most recent club and trying to decide if the blood splatters looked edgy enough to check one more den or if she needed to call it a night when she heard someone approaching.

"Pet?" Spike walked over from the direction of the club. "You called me Buffy's pet?"

"I thought "lap dog" would upset you. What have you found out?"

"Nothing. I havent even heard about Mars being in town." Spike leaned against a wall and crossed his arms. "So how does it feel to be welcomed wherever you go?"

"Get back to work."

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to loosen up a bit." Spike stepped close. "It might even help you get what you want."

Dee was preparing a scathing reply when another man asked, "What's going on here?"

They turned to look at the newcomer.

"Apollo!" Dee smiled for an instant but her face quickly clouded over.

"Who is this?" Apollo stepped up to Spike, who didn't step back.

"Just a rabbiting vampire. He belongs to a friend… a partner of mine."

Spike flashed a look at Dee but something in the way Apollo was looking at him only left him enough nerve to stand his ground. Dee called herself a goddess and she fit some of the descriptions but she looked like a kid. This guy looked like a god. Powerful and dangerous.

"Partner?" Apollo asked. "What kind of partner?"

"It's none of your business. What are you doing here?"

"I heard Mars and Eris had come here and when I heard you were here too I thought I'd make sure everything was okay."

"Mars and Eris? And now you? Who else is coming? Juno? Neptune?"

"Calm down."

"That's like telling a tornado to calm down," Spike said.

Apollo turned back to Spike. "And who are you?"

"Spike, at your service. I'm helping your sister track down Mars."

"Why don't you go get something to eat," Dee suggested.

"I thought I'd stick around in case there was something I should tell Buffy."

"Fine." Dee looked around the street and noticed all the places an eavesdropper could hide. "Can we talk at my place?"

"I'll drive." Apollo grabbed Dee's arm and Spike reached out just in time to take hold of her other arm before Apollo sped them through the streets to Dee's house in less than a minute.

The moment they stopped, Dee was pushing them off. "Don't fucking touch me!"

"She has a problem with being touched," said Spike. But Apollo wasn't drawn into a response. Instead he gave Spike a dismissive look and entered the house ahead of Dee. Spike felt a little bolder now and followed them inside.

He looked around the bare house. "Somehow I expected lots of statues and Renaissance paintings."

"It's not a museum." Dee sat down in an armchair. "Do you know why Mars is here?" she asked Apollo.

"The last I heard of him, he was asking how to bring back dead gods."

"Like Norse gods or…"

"Pan. Or Jupiter."

"Jupiter is dead? Since when?" Spike asked.

The twins looked at him but said nothing. Spike snorted irritatedly and turned away from them.

"Is that possible?" Dee asked. "If Pan returned…"

"Then humans would be caught in a nightmarish world of chaos."

"But Mars helped us defeat him the first time. Why would he bring him back?"

"Maybe this world is too tame for him anymore."

"Oh please. There are plenty of battles for him to fight." Dee stood up and paced. "Do you know where he is? Can you find out what his plan is?"

"So you and the parasite can go after him?"

Spike stayed quiet, this time.

"I'm helping the Vampire Slayer."

"There are still Slayers? Wigs go out of fashion but Slayers stick around?"

Spike coughed a quick laugh.

"And this one has a lot of experience. If any mortal can help, it's her."

"And she is your companion?"

"My partner."

"In what sense?"

"It's really none of your business."

Apollo looked at Spike, who was watching with interest and stepped close to Dee. She pulled away and Apollo held out his hands to show that he wasn't going to touch her and she stayed in place. He leaned into her ear and asked, "Are you still pure?"

Dee blushed.

"Are you?"

"Yes," Dee admitted. "But it's none of your business."

"As long as it stays true." Apollo patted her arm and she punched him in the jaw.

"Don't fucking touch me!"

"Sorry." Apollo moved toward the door. "I'll see what I can learn from Mars or Eris. I'll keep in touch." He looked at Spike, weighing him in his mind and then left.


	7. Chapter 7

Spike lounged on her couch. "So it's not just me. What did he do? Pop off the heads of your dolls?"

"Go home."

"I just want to talk. I'm an ignorant, sex-driven evil man with a penis. Tell me why I'm the scum of the earth."

"It doesn't work like that." Dee walked past him and he very nearly reached out to stop her.

"Please." He sat up. "I... do take women for granted and I didn't even think about how much I touch them before I met you. I honestly want to understand."

Dee gave him a considering look. "Alright." She sat back down in the armchair. "I assume you've done research on me."

"I already knew quite a bit. I was classically trained in the poets. Not that any of it helped."

"No one's asked to hear why before. They all think it's a silly rule. One they can cure me of. We've never been as omnipotent as the poets think. We're immortal and we source our own spells. And we have our specialties. We're super wizards hooked up to our own batteries.

"I watched my father, my brothers, and half the mortal men I've ever known rape, take advantage of, or aggressively seduce other women. And I decided that it would not be my fate. And even seduction is disrespectful of women's bodies. You would have kissed me without my permission. Even women who don't resist or who enjoy the pursuit and have no regrets are being forcibly advanced upon without realizing it.

"Men grab women, hold them tight, kiss them or paw at them without permission. Sometimes after the woman has rejected them. Sometimes because the woman has rejected them. Few men go as far as rape and few women insist on rejecting the man after being touched in pleasurable ways by attractive men, but it all begins with disrespect. With the man believing it is his right to touch what he likes and do what he wants."

"A lot of women like aggressive men. They want us to take charge. So they don't have to act like horny sluts to get what they want."

"Is that true or is that something men tell themselves to justify their behavior? I'm not saying women don't enjoy being touched by attractive men, but they don't give permission. It's the disrespect that I refuse to allow. I don't care if it's my brother or my father or a weak mortal. I don't care if they try to kiss me or touch my arm or spy at me bathing. It's all disrespect. And I have never understood why I am so unique to demand respect."

"I always thought that it had something to do with Orion."

Dee's face blanched and she stood to turn away from Spike. "Orion is none of your business."

"You keep saying that."

"It's true."

Spike resisted the urge to turn her around to face him and he realized how ingrained his assumption to touch was. "We're talking. Just explain it to me. I won't tell, if that's what you're worried about."

She still faced away and stroked the wall as she spoke. "Orion was the first, and only, man who respected me. He was an amazing hunter, but he was never boastful. We met one day, we'd been chasing the same stag and we both shot at the same time. His was the arrow that killed it, though. But he said that stag turned at the last moment and gave him the better angle. He was lying. But he let me claim the kill. I invited him to hunt with me and my party.

"It was a test. I was waiting for him to show his true nature when our guard was down. And I intended to punish him. But he never did. He didn't take advantage of my nymphs while we slept, nor did he try to seduce me. And he never touched me. Except by accident and he always apologized. And he was like that with they nymphs. They gave permission to him and touched him, but they all knew that I hated sex and he never... I respected him first, then I liked him, and finally I loved him. He must have loved me if he stayed with us for so long.

"One night we were talking and I initiated a kiss. We both leaned in, but I was the first. I liked it. Apollo found out and he thought Orion had seduced me. He worried about my vow. But my vow wasn't about chastity. It was about allowing men to disrespect me. I would have, eventually, given myself to him. And my brother couldn't stand it.

"He tricked me. He told me Orion had slept with a nymph behind my back. He... made a mortal into Orion's image and had me come across them... copulating. I ran away. The next time I saw him, the true Orion, I turned him into a stag. He was magnificent.

"I hunted him. And I killed him. And then the nymph told me the truth. I killed her and the mortal. I attacked Apollo and swore vengeance. I killed whoever his lover was at the time and hunted his demi son but Apollo had him rescued.

"Everyone tried to excuse him. Asked me to forgive him. Told me I should be grateful. So I hated them all.

"I demanded that Hephaestus make me a wicked dagger, and I poured my hate into it, along with Orion's blood. And I carved one of his antlers to make the handle. I created the God-killer.

"No one knew until the battle with Pan. He was too powerful and he was going mad. Usually when we fight we subdue the loser and they accept our terms. Athena had a spell to heal his madness. But Pan taunted me. He slandered Orion and I killed him. And they knew what I had.

"I was the threat now. They battled against me. I wounded Zeus. He took the dagger and threw it away. That is how I lost it. Another property of the God-killer is that we cannot heal its wounds and it takes most of Zeus' power to resist it. If Mars finds a way to reverse the dagger's power, it could heal Zeus and restore Pan."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything. For the need for your vow. For Orion's death, for your anger and how buggered your family is. I'm sorry." He stood up. "May I hug you?"

Dee faced him, surprised. "Alright," she said.

He approached slowly and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tightly. She was stiff at first and then put her arms around his back. She almost laughed when she felt a comfort from the contact and squeezed him back. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and he rested his cheek on her head.

He held her for a long time before she pulled away. He completely let go and stepped back. Dee had a smile on her face. One without malice or condescension. A real, honest smile.

Spike looked at the clock on the wall. "Dawn is coming."

"Do you have enough time to get home?"

"Maybe."

"You can stay if you want. I can close the blinds."

"Thanks, but I don't want to worry your brother. I can't exactly fight back," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Although... do you guys count as humans?"

"No. But you wouldn't survive a fight." She opened the door. "You better hurry."

"Good day."

Dee laughed. "Good day."

Spike settled in to watch tv to pass the day and laughed. "Score one for the sensitive guy."


	8. Chapter 8

Meanwhile, Dee went to the magic shop. Anya was inside and Dee had to knock to get her attention and be let in.

"It's six in the morning."

"Early start. I need to go through your books."

"What are you looking for?"

Dee didn't want to say. "I don't know yet. And you probably don't have anything useful."

"You'd be surprised. Giles has been collecting-"

Dee walked away and started scanning the shelves.

"Ice Bitch," Anya said under her breath.

Dee noticed a few Greek mythology books still lying around and she sighed. She closed her eyes to concentrate. If there were a book that described a ritual to regenerate a god, it would be written by someone who had performed it or had seen it performed successfully. And which gods had returned from death?

Christians despised witchcraft and would hardly admit to its use. Native Americans and southern Africans worshipped animals... Dee simply didn't know about other cultures.

"Actually, Anya... I could use some help." Dee tried to sound humble and apologetic. It seemed to work.

"How can I help?"

"I need to read up on as much anthropomorphic mythology as I can. Besides Graeco-Roman. I think I know enough of that by now."

"Sure. Just give me a minute." Anya seemed much more cheerful and Dee was careful to say "thank you."

Others came and left, all wanting to help or find out what she was looking for. "I'll let you know," she would say. "Right now I'm just trying to learn as much as I can."

She was still at it when Spike walked in. "You are hard to find. I've been searching all night for you."

"Did you find anything?"

"You could say that."

"What?"

Dee heard a whimper and looked up. "Was that you?"

Spike pulled out a puppy from behind his back and set it on the table.

"What is that?"

Spike pulled out a chair and straddled it and leaned his chin on his arms on the back of it to watch Dee. "We call them puppies. They grow into dogs."

"What is it doing here?"

"I bought him for you. But if you don't want him..." Spike reached for it but Dee picked it up.

"No, I want him, it's just..."

Giles was watching the little episode and drinking a cup of coffee. He had been slowly becoming the night watchman of the shop.

She lifted the puppy to study it. "What is it?"

"It's a mix. Only part Hell-Hound. Got a howl to chill the bones. Not exactly a good tracker, but they're smart. I thought you could use a friend. And I heard you liked dogs."

"I do." She let the puppy lick her face and she stared into its eyes to imprint herself. She set it on her lap and rubbed it down, delighting it.

"I thought you could name it Orion," he said.

Dee's smile fell and the puppy whimpered. "You don't get to say his name," she said coldly.

"Sorry. Something else, then."

Dee stayed morose and Spike picked up a volume from the table. "Norse gods and goddesses? Find anything useful?"

"No. Just legends. No rituals or spells. I might need to talk to Willow next."

"Sweet girl, but hardly the expert on anything." Spike put his chin back down and looked up at her from an endearing angle. He saw her blush a little and knew it was working.

"Have... have you heard anything from Mars?" she asked.

"No, but I think he might be using a different name."

"Is anyone planning a catastrophic battle?"

"Throw a rock, love. It's all they do. And there are always new faces. I think we need a new plan. Waiting for someone to tell all their secrets in public might not work out."

"Secrets... Apollo said Eris was here, too."

"Eris?"

"She might tell us for the sake of making things more difficult for Mars."

"I didn't realize she was THAT spiteful."

"It's not spite." The puppy was chewing on Dee's hand. "She loves to make trouble just to watch the drama. But you'll have to be open about why you want to know."

"Me? Why do you keep sending me out there?"

"Lots of reasons. But she'll like the idea that you're trying to seduce her into talking. So be sexy and overly obvious."

"You think I'm sexy?"

"I think you're repulsive."

"But also sexy."

Dee rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the puppy. Spike smirked and strolled out the door.

Giles approached and settled his glasses more firmly on his nose. "I couldn't help but overhear..." he sat down at the table. "I am very researched in magical theory, perhaps I could assist you." Giles noticed that holding the puppy had relaxed her and even Dee's face seemed more open. "And it might be helpful if I knew what we were looking for." He looked over the different books on the table.

"I don't know, but I think Mars and Eris are trying to resurrect Pan."

"Can they do that?"

Dee shifted the puppy on her lap. "I don't know."

"Is it a concern? I was under the impression that Pan was a mischievious god but not entirely evil."

"When he was young, his pranks were... mild. A few deaths, a few rapes. But as he grew older he preferred to scare his victims, not just trick them. And then that wasn't enough for him either and he wanted to terrify them."

"To inspire panic. I see."

Dee nodded. "He drove a town mad with terror. And... we killed him. But if he returned, the fear and chaos would be more than enough to keep Mars and Eris happy for a long time. He would fuel the gods of War and Discord and make them very, very powerful."


	9. Chapter 9

A few nights later, Spike was at Dee's house reporting in.

"Have I mentioned I would give my left fang to ride in your gorgeous convertible?"

"Let me grab the keys. I've needed some down time."

As Dee was backing out of the driveway, she said, "And you might want... to put on your seatbelt."

Spike didn't have time to say his snarky response before Dee sped down the street, dodging cars.

"Whoa!" Spike grabbed the door and his seat and wondered if this goddess was crazy enough to crash her car in an effort to impress him. "Take it easy, we're still in the neighborhood."

"Not for long." She shifted smoothly and sped up. She wove through the town, passing cars, missing pedestrians by inches and she seemed to have a sense for red lights. The car skid around corners and a couple times Spike felt the wheels lift off the ground.

And then they were on the open highway. Dee hit a button and the roof retracted. Spike felt the wind whipping against his head and saw Dee's hair flying wildly around her face. He also saw her manic smile flash at him. They locked eyes and she took that moment to down shift and spin the car 180 and fly backward down the highway.

"Oh, shit!" Spike couldn't help but turn in his seat to watch the road behind them as they sped along. Dee relied on her rearview. Headlights were coming and she turned off the running lights and played chicken with an unwitting driver. "Shit!" Spike reached for the wheel but she shoved him aside. "Shit!"

She swerved aside and the rush of the passing pickup stole his breath. She spun again and continued away from town, facing forward now.

Spike laughed, half hysterical and Dee smiled over at him. There was a large turn around on the side of the road and she slid into it, running donuts and figure 8's and sudden direction changes. She came to a stop, facing the highway.

They were both breathing a little hard from the adrenaline. Spike laughed again. "You crazy bint."

Dee hissed, "ssht!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Shut up!"

Then he heard it. The wail of a policecar. The flashing red and blue crested the hill and Dee was off again.

"Haha! Yeah!" Spike punched the air as they sped off down the road. He was honestly not sure where this night would end, but if those were regular cops, they could stay out of jail. But so far, Dee easily outpaced them, until she spun around.

"What are you doing?"

"This is no fun." And she drove toward the cops. She played chicken again and the cops spun out when they dodged into the gravel. She turned around and waited for them to get back on the road before teasing them. She drove circles around them and repeated all her tricks with a moving obstacle. She always knew when the cops would brake or try to ram and she always evaded them.

"Alright, I'm tired of this. They're going to start shooting at my tires in a moment." She sped ahead and just past a hillcrest, she killed the lights and pulled into a side road just as the policecar sped past.

"What do you think?" Dee moved her mirror and tried to tame her hair by the half moonlight.

"I have the most unbelievable hard on right now."

Dee glanced at his pants and gave an awkward laugh.

"If you were any other girl, I'd jump you right now." He took a few deep breaths and looked her over. "I still might."

"You'll get over it. Relax." Dee reclined her seat to look up at the sky.

Spike watched her for a moment in the dim light and copied her. He let out a slow breath and tried to focus on the very unsexy stars above.

"How long have you loved Buffy?"

And it was gone. He kind of missed it and was a little irritated that she managed to say the only thing that could deflate him so fast.

"Not long. I hated her for a long time. I still don't understand how it happened."

"I think you like the attention. You could always leave. We both know the world is a big place and it's always changing. But you stay here because of Buffy."

"Maybe."

"Tell me how you became a vampire."

Question by question, Spike told her his story. He didn't even realize how much he'd told her until he was in the middle of the story where Drusilla and Angel were intimate while he was in a wheelchair.

"And then what?" He had fallen silent.

"I'll finish that story later. I think we should go home."

"Alright." They raised their seats and Dee held up the keys. "Want to drive home?"

He grabbed the keys with a grin and was a little surprised when she started to climb over the stick shift to switch seats. He slid under her and thought about thrusting against her bum but it was too late before he made up her mind.

During the tale the policecar had returned back to Sunnydale.

He put the keys in and said, "Let's see what this thing can really do."

"Excuse me?" Dee asked sharply.

Spike remembered eight stories where the goddess Diana punished boasters with transformation, hunt, and then death.

"That's not what it sounded like."

"Oh?"

"I meant I hope I don't grind the clutch."

"Right."

It took a little while for Spike to forget his brush with death enough to enjoy the car. He brought it up to an engine-roaring speed, moving from one lane to the other. He tried a 180 spin and stalled the engine.

"Shit."

Dee laughed at him and he blushed, jaw clenched, as he drove out of the gravel and back onto the road. He went back to enjoying the speed and tried no more tricks.

To avoid any patrolling cops, he drove through town using different streets and obeying all traffic lights.

In her driveway, Dee brought the top back up. "I miss chariots," she said. "Controlling four horses and dealing with obstacles... and it was easy to fall out." She saw Spike looking at her. "What is it?" she asked, softly.

He looked at her mouth and leaned in, just to the stick shift and stopped, watching her eyes, now.

Dee looked back at him, her eyes moving across his face and she moved toward him a little. He came over, slowly, stopping a few times to wait for her to move. Which she did. Her breath was fast and their lips barely touched when a hard knock on her window startled them apart.

"What the fuck?" she shouted.

Apollo was standing outside the car. Dee climbed out and slammed the door.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"What are you doing there?" he demanded.

"That's none of your business!"

"The hell it's not!"

"How many women have you fucked? Hmm? This year? This month? This week? How dare you dictate my life, you slut!"

"I don't have the responsibilities you have! Would you send Gaia into chaos for lust? For that?" he pointed at Spike, who was out of the car now. "He's not even a man! Do you know how disgusting he is? None of us, ever, had sex with demons."

"Who said anything about sex? This is just what you did with- oh," Dee lost her anger. "You did the same thing to Orion. Why can't you let me have any happiness? What is so wrong with me liking a boy. Liking! Do you know how hard it is to find a boy I can be friends with?"

"What you were about to do had nothing to do with being friends."

"Hey, Apollo," Spike stepped between them, "why don't we all calm down."

"Silence, demon filth!" Apollo pointed at Spike and Dee barely jumped in the way and deflected the spell into the lawn. The grass was blasted and left a scorchmark five feet across.

"Shit!" Spike kept Dee between him and Apollo.

"If you hurt him, I'll never forgive you... again. I'll leave Hellmouth and you can stop Mars alone. I'll let the world burn."

"To spite me?"

"Or I'll help Mars. Pan and I used to be friends. Is that why we fought him? Was he a threat to my virtue?" Dee grew a faint smoky aura.

"Pan was mad."

"Says who?" Spike couldn't see her eyes glowing, but he saw the aura brighten and her hair flew in a breeze he couldn't feel. Her voice had a deep echo behind it.

"I won't hurt your... friend. As long as he keeps his space."

"Leave."

Apollo walked off down the sidewalk, looking strangely normal compared to his glowing sister. They watched him go and as Dee calmed down, her aura faded. When Apollo was out of sight she took Spike's hand and pulled him into the house. "Follow me."

"What?"

Dee shut the door behind them and yanked Spike's head down for a kiss. She shoved her tongue into his mouth for a clumsy moment before he pushed away. "What are you doing?" She was unclasping his belt and unbuttoning his pants. "Whoa! Whoa!" He stepped back and zipped himself back up. "What happened to respecting boundaries?"

"Please. A few hours ago you nearly begged me to do this."

"Well... now I feel a little different. And... maybe it's a good thing we didn't do this... earlier."

"Don't worry about my brother." She stepped toward him and he put the armchair between them. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to... do whatever you have in your goddess-y little brain of yours."

"You're a man. This is all you want."

"Not always."

"Please." Dee rolled her eyes.

"Is that all we are to you? Sex-crazed maniacs?"

"Yes. Because that's all you are."

"We have feelings. I have feelings. Sometimes I like a little romance, okay? Sometimes I like to feel that I've earned a little intimacy. That's why what I wanted a few hours ago is not what I want now. I don't like being treated like your personal sex toy. You. You're all high and mighty on your little soap box lecturing me on sensitivity and respect but you're just like the rest of us. Selfish. You want what you want when you want it and damn everyone else. Well guess what? I'm saying no. No I'm not going to indulge your little rebellion and feed into your daddy issues."

Spike strode to the door and slammed it behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

At the magic shop, Buffy discussed the issue with the others.

"Does anyone else think it's strange that we haven't heard anything about these plans except what these supposed gods are telling us?"

Willow asked, "What do you mean, 'supposed'? Dee is real."

"Or maybe she's just a powerful witch trying to get her hands on the God-Killer. She tries to steal it, fails, and then makes up some story about saving the world. None of our contacts have heard anything."

"By 'contacts' do you mean Spike?" asked Tara.

"We have other contacts, don't we?"

Willow shook her head. "Not really. We kind of kill everyone who associates with vampires and demons."

"Well, he hasn't heard anything."

"That doesn't mean there isn't anything to hear. Maybe we should just give her the dagger."

"She could use it to kill Buffy! No one can heal from it!" Xander said.

"No offense, but you don't need an invincible dagger to kill Buffy," said Willow.

"It couldn't hurt," said Tara. "We can't let her have it. She's a good fighter. She could kill lots of people with it."

"Like demons?" Buffy suggested.

"Or other things. Aren't there good creatures she could hurt?"

"Okay, let's table the discussion on giving her the dagger. Can we trust her?"

Willow shrugged. "I don't see why not. If she's telling the truth, so far she's the first to know. If she's not, if we're careful, it's not like we haven't been in danger before."

"That sounded like 'trust her as far as we can throw her.' Okay. So it's settled. We keep her around but no one go anywhere alone with her and if she learns anything, we check it out together."

Later that day Buffy visited Spike at his tomb.

"Spike, I need to talk to you about Dee."

"Yeah? What about?"

"What do you think of her?"

"Let's see. I think she's a hypocritical psychotic Freudian wet dream that needs to sort herself out. Or did you mean something else?"

"Do you believe she's a real goddess?"

"Yes. Well... close enough for government work. If they're not, they're trying to look like it and they're doing an excellent job."

"They?"

"Didn't you know? I met her brother. And he doesn't fancy vampires, let me tell you. He threatened my life, can you believe that? Such prejudice."

"I can't imagine. Which brother? Mars?"

"Apollo, the one and only. He didn't like me parking with his sis."

"What were you doing- you know what? I don't want to know."

"Yes, you do. You need ideas for your little fantasies about us."

"Ew. Okay, so you believe the god part. What about the threat of destroying the world?"

"Real. Unless last night was staged. And if so, someone deserves an Oscar, because it was very convincing."

"What happened?"

"Apollo caught us-"

"Ick."

"-and tried to convince Dee that she would be better off without me. That I was a distraction and might jeopardize the world. And then she told him where to shove that and if he didn't back off that she might help Mars bring back Pan just for shits and giggles."

"That's not encouraging."

"She was bluffing, but he backed off. It was convincing. It takes a special amount of dysfunction to threaten to destroy the world to get back at your brother for interrupting a snog. Now is that all?" He jumped onto a slab and posed, stretched out and leaning on his hand. "Or do you want to act out some of those fantasies?"

"Just let me know if you find out anything more."

Spike jumped down and blocked her from leaving. "And what do I get in return for my information?"

"You get to go another night without getting staked."

"Fair enough." Spike stepped aside and watched her bum as she left. Then he lay back on his bed and tried to sort out Buffy and Dee in his mind. He was interrupted in his thoughts by footsteps outside his tomb. He jumped up and ran to his chair to look nonchalant. He saw a book nearby and opened it up in the middle. Then he thought that it looked too nerdy and threw it onto the bed. The door was opening and he chose to pick at his nails and look unconcerned about his visitor.

"What do you want?" he asked. It was cool to not look up. He spotted his cigarettes on a table and wished he'd seen them a moment earlier.

"I want to talk about Diana."

Spike tried to mask his surprise when he recognized Apollo's voice. He covered it by getting up to light a cigarette. He leaned on the slab and asked, "Are you going to tell me not to see her again or you'll break my legs?"

Apollo forced a smile. "Maybe we should start over."

"Why? Are you going to say you didn't mean all those mean little things you called me last night?"

Apollo looked at Spike as though he were speaking bird vomit. "You've managed to charm your way into being Diana's friend." His look said he didn't know how. "I'm here to give you a warning and to ask for your help."

"No, see those are called threats. You tell me to do something or else. Don't pussyfoot about it."

"The warning is: Diana needs to remain a virgin or chaos will engulf the world."

"Really? That's the best you could do? I think you aimed a little too high on that one, mate. It's a bit unbelievable."

"Diana is part of the Triple Goddess whether she likes it or not. And they are all virgins. I don't have to worry about the other two, but Diana has always been... Luckily she usually despises men but every once in a while one gets clever enough.

"The age of Greek and Roman gods is over. Few call on us anymore. We're more of a concept than a specific person anymore. Except the Triple Goddess. She survived in the pagan lands and she fuels the mortal magic. But if Diana loses her chastity, she breaks the Triple Goddess and mortals lose what little power they have to fight supernatural beings."

"Like me."

"I acknowledge that you are different from most vampires. I don't pretend to understand why, but it is well known that you help the Slayer. So I'm asking whatever part of you is good and decent to help me keep Diana safe from her... carnal needs."

"You want me to guard her virginity?" Spike laughed at the irony.

"Now that you know what is at stake... She won't listen to me, but she'll listen to you."

"I'm the biggest threat to her and you're hoping to turn me into some chastity-belt. I think she's old enough to make up her own decisions."

"They aren't her decisions!" Apollo turned away in frustration. He couldn't believe he was arguing with a demon. "If she were mortal, I wouldn't care. She could become a whore. But it doesn't just affect her."

"It should still be her choice."

Apollo sighed. "Maybe you're right." He turned back to Spike. "Can you wait until we've stopped Mars from bringing back Pan? We'll need her power. And then she can have her choice."

Apollo offered Spike his hand. Spike took a long drag on his cigarette while he thought. Then he tossed it away and took Apollo's hand. "Think of me as her chastity-belt with fangs."


	11. Chapter 11

Which was difficult when she avoided him. He looked for her everywhere he could think. At the magic shop he found out that she hadn't been by all day and the puppy was pining for her.

Spike took her duffel bag and had the puppy smell it.

"Got it? Okay little mutt," he said as he hooked it onto a leash, "go find her!" There was a dripping sound and he looked down to see the dog peeing on his shoe. "Looks like everyone hates me. Do you know who I had to kill to get these shoes?" He held the puppy at eye level. "Your master is lost and if you ever want to see her again you're going to use that bloody nose of your and find her."

The puppy yelped and squirmed so Spike set it down. "I hope that means you understand. Alright, let's go."

The puppy bounded up the streets, smelling everything. Spike wondered if he was going to waste his entire night walking the dog.

"What on earth could be the big difference between that tree and this tree?" he asked when the dog stopped five feet to investigate each one. "No, don't lay down!" Spike had forgotten that puppies lacked any endurance and this one was exhausted. "Wake up!" But the puppy heaved a heavy sigh and fell into a deep sleep. "You're lucky you're so cute," he said as he picked it up. "But don't tell anyone I said that."

Spike went into a bar and set the pup on the counter. "Give me a pint and a little something for the tyke."

"One of yours?" The snake demoness hissed. "How much are you asking for it?"

"It's not for sale. I'm holding it for a friend."

The bartender got him his blood and a small bowl of scraps for the dog. "Don't eat it all at once," Spike warned it. "Give yourself a tummy-ache." He sipped his blood. "Is this dog's blood?"

The puppy yelped.

"We're out of cow."

"What happened to the days when we could get virgin's blood?"

"Slayer. You want that quality, you need to go to the cities now. We can't get it anymore."

The puppy was whining.

"Oh, shut up. It's probably no one you know."

The puppy made a feeble howl that gave Spike goosebumps on his arms and he turned to look at what the puppy was howling at. It was Dee, hanging on the arm of the third most dangerous demon in town.

"What does she think she's doing?" He watched her laugh and drop her shoulder so that her shirt strap slid off. The demon's talon moved to grip her buttock and she leaned into him. "Okay, I know what she thinks she's doing. Bugger." He drained his pint and handed the leash to the bartender. "Hold this, will you?" He stood and made his way over. "What the hell am I doing?" he mumbled.

He staggered over and bumped into them.

"Sorry, mate. Regrassus! How are you? On my way to the loo, this cheap stuff cuts right through me. Diana! What a surprise!"

Dee glared at him. Regrassus seemed about to throw Spike across the room.

"Glad to see those parasites are gone."

Regrassus let go of Dee. "Parasites?"

"Oh, yeah. She was covered. Nasty burrowing kind. Hell of thing to kill. But you look good. Maybe a little flaky round the ears."

"He's lying."

"Get away from me."

"But-"

Regrassus shoved her and went to the washroom.

Spike exaggerated a relieved sigh. "Whew! That was close."

Dee was speechless and stormed out, pulling her shirt strap back into place.

"Hang on!" Spike grabbed the puppy and ran after her. "Do you realize what you were trying to do?"

"I was trying to find out where Mars or Eris are and how they're planning to resurrect Pan, or has everyone else forgotten there's an actual reason why I'm still in town?"

"Well, throwing your tight little twat at every kingpin you see isn't going to help you. I just saved your ass figuratively and probably literally, too. I think you should learn to show a little gratitude for people who risk their necks to keep you safe."

"Who asked you to? You know what, 'spike'? I'll show you gratitude. Hedgehog." She snapped her fingers and out of a cloud of smoke, an apriocot hedgehog fell to the concrete. Dee picked up the leash and the puppy sniffed at the prickly lump. "You should find somewhere safe to hide. You're still a vampire and sunlight will burn your hedghog hide. And be careful. Cats can be wicked clever."

The hedgehog hissed and trundled after her.

The shop door bell rang and Xander glanced over. "Can ghosts open doors?"

"No. But poltergeists can," Anya said.

"Do poltergeists grunt?"

"No, but hedgehogs do."

"Hedgehogs?" Xander jumped out of his seat when he felt tiny claws on his thigh and looked into a prickly face. "Whoa! Where did he come from? Do we even have hedgehogs in California?"

The hedgehog when to a small display table and stood against it, knocking it over and shattering the glass and clay containers.

"Hey, stop it!"

The hedgehog went to a pile of spilled ash and drew 'spike' in it with his nose.

"Spike? Is that you?" Xander asked.

The hedgehog nodded.

"Do you think Dee did that to him?" Anya asked.

The hedgehog nodded again.

"It really looks like him, too," Xander said.

The hedgehog wrinkled his forehead and charged at Xander's ankle.

"Ow! That... well, kind of hurt." He side stepped another charge. "Doesn't mean I enjoyed it."

"Now I'm trying to decide if we care," Anya said. "You know, a hedgehog wouldn't make a bad pet. Better than bunnies. And we can lock him up and feed him bugs and everyone will ask, 'what happened to Spike?' and he'll be right there the whole time."

The hedgehog hissed and shuffled into a crowded corner of the shop.

"You know if we did that, if he ever got free, he'd kill us both?"

"Instantly. Still, it was a nice thought."

When Buffy came in after school, Xander shouted, "Dee turned Spike into a hedgehog and he's hiding in the corner."

"Huh. Wish I'd thought of that. Okay. I have good news. I know when Mars and Eris plan to bring Pan. There is some celestial planar solstice equinox thing and the bottom line is: Tuesday."

"Tuesday?" Xander asked.

"Tuesday."

"How do you know? Are you sure?"

"Got it the old fashioned way. Found a vampire and beat him up until he spilled the beans. So much for having a vampire and a goddess undercover."

"So what do we do now?"

"Well, we still need to find out where they plan on doing it and try to stop them. But hey. Tuesday."

The hedgehog popped his head out and grunted at her.

"Huh. It even looks like him."

It grumbled and turned around to hide in the corner.


	12. Chapter 12

A bright, handsome man walked in the doors, looking around the shop. Anya, Buffy, and even Tara perked up and took notice.

"Can I help you?" Anya slid over. "My name is Anya and I own this shop."

"Yes, but you're engaged," Buffy pulled Anya out of the way. "so you should get back to work planning your wedding."

"Hi, I'm actually looking for Diana."

"Oh," the girls said in deflated unison.

"She's not here." Buffy went back to sitting on the counter. Apollo leaned on it and smiled at her.

"I'm her brother, Apollo."

"Her twin brother," Tara piped in.

Apollo flashed her a warm smile and Tara smiled back shyly.

"I have some news about Mars and Eris."

"Tuesday, we know," Buffy said.

"At Miner's Hat?"

"The natural rock formation named in the gold rush days?" Tara piped in again. When everyone looked at her she slumped down in her seat. "Everyone was already thinking it..."

"That's the one. It's not much, but it's the highest spot in Sunnydale."

"The highest spot outside Sunnydale. It looks like Mars and Eris aren't interested in hurting any innocent mortals."

"Or maybe they don't want the police to interrupt them before the finish."

"Well, the next time I see Dee, I'll bring her up to speed."

"I think it would be a good idea if we all met and worked out our plan."

"What's to work out? I go in with the God-Killer and stop Mars and Eris and you two back me up with your powers."

"It might be a little more complicated than that. I'll be back Monday at six. Make sure Diana is here."

"Am or pm?" Tara asked.

"Evening." He gave them all a smile and left.

"Sploosh," Anya said.

"What does that mean?" Buffy asked.

"I'll tell you when you're older."

Willow and Dee walked in at lunch. "Where is he?" Willow asked Anya.

The hedgehog waddled out, grunting furiously.

"He's so cute!" Willow said.

"Oh, you're still alive," Dee sounded surprised. "Good for you." She snapped her fingeres and Spike sprawled on the ground. He climbed up.

"You bitch. I don't care if it hurts." He punched her across the face and stared at his hand. "It didn't hurt."

"I'm not mortal. I don't count."

Spike made a snarling smile and attacked her.

"Guys?" Anya called "Could you do this somewhere else?"

They didn't heed her and Anya and Willow had to rescue several items in the shop before they were knocked over and destroyed in the fight.

Finally Dee's aura flashed and she punched him with a glowing fist. He tripped backward, holding his smoking cheek. When he pulled his hand away, there was a blistering burn on his jaw.

"What did you want to tell me?" Dee asked Buffy.

"Tuesday at Miner's Hat."

"Okay." She gave Spike one last glance and left the shop.

"Not that easy." Spike took off his jacket and held it over his head.

"Spike! Sunlight?!" Willow called as he left the shop.

"Hey! Bitch goddess!" He jogged after her, holding his coat up to keep the sun off his skin.

"Watch it or you'll get a tan."

"I think we should talk."

"Now you want to talk? You weren't interested in talking when you found out your pussy chip didn't work on me."

"I just got back from a week eating beetles and sleeping in dust."

"Two and a half days."

"Really? Well, a week in hedgehog days. I need to ask, while I was chasing after spiders and battling rats, did you... do it with a demon lord?"

Dee stopped. "What do you care? What did Apollo tell you?"

"Triple Goddess, loose cannon, look, I'm all for a good shag and I highly recommend it, but I'm with your brother on this. Put off your next big regret until Wednesday. Listen to me. You didn't want it for the wrong reasons, but now you want it for worse ones. Have you ever even been aroused? Have you ever actually burned for someone? Or has it always been kissing and attempted rape?

"I don't know what your brother has told you before, but this is what I'm telling you now. You've bothered to wait, so don't waste it. I can't tell you how many women I've had or what most of their names were, but I remember Louisa. I remember the barn and the cow shit smell and worrying about her uncle finding us. And I'm glad I have that memory.

"But if you throw it away on some soul-stealing demon in order to get revenge on your brother for something he did a thousand years ago, then that's a waste and I'll pity you."

Dee was silent, but the look she gave him before she walked away gave him hope that his words had sunk in.

Someone slapped his back. "Well done," Apollo came into his line of sight. "I told you she'd listen to you."

"If you'll excuse me, I have the taste of beetles to wash out of my mouth."


	13. Chapter 13

It was five thirty and the shop was crowded. Tara was playing with Hound and the others were arguing when Spike arrived.

Dee's voice rang over the din. "I should be the one with the God-Killer. It's mine. It's the whole reason I'm here."

"But who's to say you'll stick around once we give it to you?" Xander said.

"Have I missed anything?" Spike asked Buffy as he joined her on the counter.

"Nope. Just the usual. What do you think?"

"I think Apollo is the one with the plan."

"Me too."

Not long after, Apollo entered, flanked by two women. One was olive skinned and dressed in cream and wore a serene smile, the other dusky and wore black lace and leather.

They both had powerful auras and there was no doubt these women were goddesses. Tara and Willow dropped to their knees and bowed. "Selene! Hecate! Oh, wow!" Willow was excited beyond words.

"Nope!" Dee climbed off the chair and hurried to the back door. Spike jumped down and blocked her.

"Sister, at least listen to what we have to say," Selene said. If pearls could talk, Willow thought, they would sound like the moon goddess.

"Fuck you, Selene! I'm not doing it again."

Spike blocked her again. "Come on," he said, quietly. "Let's hear them out. They can't force you to do anything you don't want to."

"What do you want to bet?"

"I'll shag your brains out when this is over, alright?" He smiled at her and got her to give a quiet laugh.

She turned back and climbed back onto the top of her chair, closed faced and coldly looking at her siblings. Apollo and Spike nodded to each other and Apollo spoke.

"The ritual will begin just after sunset. Mars will have as many vampires and demons as he can hire to protect them at the base of the rock formation. So we'll need all of you to help keep them away from us. The power of the Triple Goddess should be enough to stop and subdue them. And if it isn't, then the God-Killer will be."

"No." Dee stood on the seat of her chair. "I will NOT let you wield the God-Killer. And I will not make the Triple Goddess. We used to fight all the time. The four of us can easily stop the two of them. Hades, I thought I could do it alone with these mortals, I just didn't know where to find the effluents."

"He has many powerful allies," Selene said in her pearlescent voice. "We may not be enough. But as the Triple Goddess..."

"No!"

"How can you be so selfish?" Tara asked. "All our lives are at risk and you're refusing to help."

"I'm willing to help but-"

"Then cooperate!" Anya demanded.

"You don't know what it's like..." Dee looked at Spike. "You do. To have your soul removed and replaced with... something else."

"But you'll get your soul back," said Willow.

Dee whispered, "Mostly."

"Of course you get your soul back," said Selene.

"You're always so melodramatic," Hecate said. "Your soul doesn't go anywhere. Do you even remember the other times? The rush of power? How could you say no to that? For such a daredevil, you're surprisingly timid. I thought you'd be begging us to become Triple Goddess so you could feel the power again."

"There has to be another way."

"There isn't," Apollo said with an edge of irritation.

"Give me the God-Killer. I'll stop them," Dee said.

"I will have the God-Killer," Apollo said.

"I will have it," Buffy said. "I think it should be in the hands of a mortal."

"There will be gods battling, little one," he said. "You need to stay with the vampires, Slayer."

"I'm tougher than I look. Like you said, I'm the Slayer. I will carry the God-Killer and that is that."

"Fine, but don't use it unless I say."

Everyone turned back to Dee. "I'm not going to do it. And you can't make me."

"The hell we can't! Can we?" Xander said.

Hecate shook her head. "We all have to want to join. Otherwise nothing will happen."

"Fuck you guys." Dee jumped down and went to the back door again. Spike grabbed her and hissed in her ear before she could even yell at him for touching her.

"Do this and you get the God-Killer," he said.

"You're lying or you're an idiot. Apollo won't let-"

"I swear. Look at Buffy."

Buffy was too far away to hear but she made a small nod when Dee looked.

"We will hand over the God-Killer when this is over or we will fight Apollo for it if he crosses us. You will get it."

"You're an idiot." Dee pulled back to look at him. "But I trust you. You are my friend. I will do this for you."

Spike was touched, and while he'd had more eloquent declarations of more romantic feelings from other women before, he did think they had something special. "That's my girl."

"Whatever. I'm a thousand times older than you, pipsqueak." Dee turned to the group. "I'll do it."

The mortals cheered in relief, Hecate and Selene grinned and clasped each other's hand, and Apollo stared at Spike for a long moment before he remembered to smile and look relieved.

Everyone spent the next 23 hours preparing. Dee wanted to spend it alone or with Spike but her siblings refused to leave her alone. They chatted about "old times" and shared stories about their lives since the Sundering and Dee put up with it. She didn't bother talking or listening. It all reminded her why she lived secluded.

Tara wasn't meant to fight so Dee imprinted Hound onto her. "If you keep it simple, he'll understand and do anything you say."

"Like, I could tell him to make me a sandwich?" Tara joked.

"Peanut butter and jelly. But you lose him if you want lunch meats and Swiss cheese and pickles and the crusts cut off and mayo only on one side."

Tara laughed. "You didn't have to do that. He's still your puppy."

"But if things don't work out, I want him to take care of you."

"Don't you mean you want me to take care of him?"

"That too."

Hecate and Selene found them.

"Oh! Did we show her the dresses?" Selene asked.

"No, let's go get them."

"Dresses?" Tara sat down to watch.

Hecate stayed to keep an eye on Dee while Selene went to the car and returned with three garment bags. "Close your eyes," she said.

Dee looked unimpressed, but Tara got up and covered her eyes. There was a rustling and then Selene and Hecate said, "Now."

Selene and Hecate held their own dresses in front of themselves and held Dee's between them.

They were identical, styled in the ancient Greek fashion but made of a shimmering material. Selene's was almost blindingly white, Hecate's was an inky black, and Dee's was a deep gray. The effect was like looking at a spectrum but Dee thought it was completely unnecessary and despite the symbolic appropriateness, superficial.

"Eight thousand years of fashion and that's what you pick?" she said.

Selene lowered her dress and sighed at Dee.


	14. Chapter 14

Spike arrived a little before sundown, dodging sunbeams. He carried a familiar duffel bag.

"I can't use them," Dee said.

He shrugged. "You never know. You look nice."

"I didn't wear this kind of crap even when everyone was wearing it."

Spike used a mocking falsetto, "Daddy, I want a knee high saffron tunic. I want one because I'm a tom boy and pretty tunics are for girls."

Dee wrinkled her nose in a disgusted look. "Eugh. I hate saffron. I don't know who started that story."

"Are you ready?"

"I guess."

"There! That is the inspiring confidence I like to hear before we save the world! This will be my eighth time. How many times have you saved the world?"

"That depends on perspective."

"Let's say my perspective. How many times would I say you've saved the world?"

"A hundred or so. But most of that happened back when we were relevant. Before the Sundering."

"The what?"

Apollo got everyone's attention and made sure everything was ready. "And Buffy, you have the God-Killer?" She nodded and he looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind. Next, everyone counted car seats and piled into three cars, making sure to separate Dee and Spike.

When they arrived, the gods didn't need to worry, Dee ignored Spike and focused on the crag jutting into the sky. She needed to want to cooperate and to think of or see Spike would jeopardize that.

"Let's do it now," she said.

Selene and Hecate didn't waste any time and took up their positions beside her and clasped her hands. They began chanting in Greek, and their auras grew and flared brightly, surrounding all three of them. The glow tightened as the three bodies overlapped and combined.

Everyone, whether standing in front of, or on either side of the Triple Goddess was looking at a face and saw two arms. The dresses had melded into a perfect spectrum of shadow. The Triple Goddess opened her eyes and when she spoke it looked like the sun was inside her body, blazing through her eye sockets and mouth. Her aura hovered over her body like the smoke that comes off of ice.

"Dee, are you okay?" Spike asked, looking at the central face.

The face looked at him impassively and said nothing.

"Brother, we are ready." She stepped into the air and climbed a non-existent staircase to the summit of the crag.

Apollo suddenly struck Buffy and snatched the dagger in her hand. He felt its angry power and smiled at her where she lay on the ground. "Thanks. Watch out, though. I wasn't lying about the demon army." And he rose into the air, his god aura blazing like yellow fire and he looked like the sun god that he was.

His light signalled the horde to attack. And the fight began. Everyone fought conservatively, looking quickly for an opening and ashing as soon as possible.

Soon after, there was a bone-chilling howl and Tara appeared, riding a beast that seemed to come from the gates of hell.

"Tara! What are you doing here?"

"You forgot the bag of stakes." She opened it up and threw bundles at everyone with free hands to catch.

"Look out!"

But Hound, fully grown in the past hour, pounced on the vampire and pinned it to give Tara a clear shot at its heart. Together they joined the fight.

When the numbers had thinned, there was a blast of light from the top of the crag and Buffy turned to Spike. "We need to get up there."

"Hop on."

She jumped onto his offered back and he climbed up the vertical face. They hoped they would go unnoticed when they reached the top, as the trail path was on the opposite side. There was scraggly brush that hid them as they stealthily approached.

When the Triple Goddess arrived at the top, Mars, Eris, Minerva, and Zeus were waiting. Minerva and Mars were supporting Zeus, who was hunched over, holding a wound in his side. His aura of rolling clouds was dim and translucent. He looked at the Triple Goddess with distrust and malice.

"Is she under control?" he asked.

"She is." The Triple Goddess' answered, the three voices echoing deeply.

Apollo arrived shortly and Zeus said, "Let's finish this." He pushed Minerva and Mars aside and straightening as best he could, walked toward the Triple Goddess. She glided to meet him. Zeus raised his head proudly and looked into the face of the daughter who had wounded him.

Four arms rose into the air and the Triple Goddess spoke, her three toned voice echoing with power. "By all the power we command, above the earth, on the earth, and below the earth, we heal the wound of our father."

The two arms in the middle, both of which belonged to Diana and one of each of the others lowered to touch Zeus' side.

"This wound was made in fear, anger, and hatred and its evil has kept it from healing. We cleanse this wound with trust, compassion, and love." Tears fell from their eyes and they whispered, "I'm sorry, Father."

Dark smoke drained from Zeus' wound and he stood tall, whole. Free of the poison, he quickly healed the wound and his mighty aura flashed across the heavens and settled into a bright rolling cloudscape.

"It worked," Minerva said, relieved. "The effects can be reversed."

Zeus' eyes flashed and he back handed the central face. The whole head jerked and each face grimaced. "Stupid bitch," he spat.

"Father..." Apollo's tone was mildly scolding.

"Let's bring back Pan and quickly. I want Diana to face her punishment," Zeus said, backing away. Eris was sitting on a boulder, swinging her legs and smiling at the Triple Goddess. "And I don't like that one. Why is she here? She's nothing but trouble."

Eris looked back at him with wide, innocent eyes.

Mars spoke. "She's the one who gathered Pan's remains. We couldn't hope to bring him back without her."

"We have them now, send her away. She only schemes."

"I miss Pan. He and I always had a good time." Eris' tone implied several definition.

"She deserves to be here, Father," Mars stated.

Eris saw something in the brush and turned her face away to look at Mars and smile.

"Then let's do it now, before she finds a way to ruin everything."

Minerva pulled an asymmetrical piece of volcanic glass from a bag and gave it to the Triple Goddess.

She turned it over in her hands and whispered, "no." The four arms raised up, the central two clasping the rock tightly. She started to speak but all that came out was a strained cry. Her aura grew and swirled around her and she trembled as she struggled to hold the rock and speak.

"She needs more power!" Apollo shouted over the whirling vortex. Each god pulled power from their sources, making their auras blindingly bright.

Spike and Buffy covered their eyes and lay flat as the wind tore at them.

Each god poured their power into the vortex, until it was so fierce they could no longer see the Triple Goddess within it. There was a three-toned scream and suddenly it collapsed.

The darkness was blinding. The gods had been reduced to their mortal forms and it took a moment for them to regain their godly bodies and illuminate the area. Even then, their auras were dim and everyone was weakened with exhaustion.

On the ground were four bodies. In the darkness, Spike had started to stand but Buffy had stopped him. Now in the dim light they snuck closer. Eris moved to stand between them and the others, pretending to want a better view of the bodies.

Hecate was the first of the four to move. Apollo went to the fourth body and rolled it over. "It's Pan. He's not breathing." And the god of the healing arts put his hands on his brother's chest and his aura nearly extinguished in order to revive him.

Pan took a gasping breath and sat up, grabbing Apollo's shoulder. "Why have I got legs?" he asked. "And what perverse language am I speaking?"

"It's American. Welcome to the 21st Century." Apollo laughed and clapped Pan on the back. "Minerva, bring out the clothes."

"Fuck that." Pan stood and scratched himself. "Mm. Fuck. I like the sound of that. Sounds vulgar."

Hecate was on her side, leaning on her hands. "Apollo... where is his aura?" Her voice rose into hysteria. "Where is his aura?!"

Pan looked down at himself, then at both sides of his hand. He closed his eyes and clenched his body and farted. He looked at his hand again and laughed. "I'm mortal." He laughed and slapped his thigh. "You stupid assholes take my lovely legs and make me a damned human!" He was no longer laughing.

"I think you look great," Eris said.

"Shut up."

"It was Diana," Zeus said. "She fought the resurrection."

Pan saw her, just starting to stir. He grabbed her and lifted her off the ground by her throat. "You." His voice grated with rage. "You're the one who killed me."

"You were mad," she coughed out, holding his arm.

"No. Now I'm mad." He turned, lowering her a little, but still choking her. "Where is that fucking dagger?"

"Yes," said Zeus.

Apollo sighed and handed it over, handle first. Pan and Dee looked at the flint blade and without a word Pan stabbed Dee in the heart. She stared in surprise and he dropped her. Her aura faded and went out.

Eris stepped up and rolled Dee over, away from Pan and touched her face. "I liked her," she said. "She was the black sheep of the family. Lots of drama." Then Eris sat down next to Dee to watch the group. "I don't think you appreciate a good drama. They aren't all tragic. Some are quite comedic. If you know how to look at it."

"Shut up."

"Eris." Mars shook his head, warning her to stay quiet.

Selene finally awoke and saw Pan. "It worked."

"Not as well as you hoped," Pan said, bitterly.

"He's a mortal." Hecate helped Selene up. Selene saw Dee. "Oh, and he slew Diana with the God-Killer."

"Pity. Do you think we have to replace her or can we go on as the Double Goddess?"

Pan snatched the clothes from Minerva and resentfully put on the jeans and t-shirt. He flexed his arms. "I feel strong. I mean stronger than I think I should be. Maybe you brought me back as a demi? Aren't there ways to turn a demi into a full god?"

"We can try," Hecate said. "But we'll need time to recover. And to find out what the Triple Goddess is without her."

"Maybe we should store her body in the rock, like Pan was." Selene picked up the volcanic glass, now clear as crystal.

They turned to Eris.

"Where's the body?" Pan asked.

"What body?" she said.


	15. Chapter 15

The brush opened before them and closed behind them. Spike held Dee's hand as they ran and pulled her on. Buffy followed behind, holding the God-Killer in her hand.

"Hurry," Spike said.

"I'm trying," she stumbled on a root and Buffy grabbed her other arm. They reached the cliff and listened to the other gods crashing through the brush.

"I thought they could fly," Spike said, looking back.

"They're weak right now, same as me."

"I can't carry the both of you down."

They reached the edge of the cliff and looked down into the darkness. Dee looked at him. "This will be it. I'll be helpless."

"What?"

Dee looked down at the cliff and a ledge pulled out, switchbacking to the ground. She dropped to her knees and Spike threw her over his shoulder and ran down the path, Buffy close behind.

Lightning cracked and the jagged fingers arched over them, making their arm hair stiffen.

"Get in the cars!" Buffy shouted as they got closer.

"What's going on?" Tara asked.

"Run! Get in the cars!"

Everyone started to run as another bolt of lightning crackled above them.

"His aim is weak," Dee said.

"Lucky thing, too."

They sped off before the gods caught up with them.

"Now what?" Spike asked.

Dee was slumped against him. "Now we wait. Until they kill us."

"Don't give up!" Buffy said.

"Minerva is a master tactician and the others want me dead. She'll find us and when they catch up, we'll have no chance."

"What about Eris?"

"She has her drama. We can't count on her again."

"So what? You want us to give up?" Spike asked.

"It doesn't matter."

"Maybe we should give her up," Xander was driving. "Maybe they'll let us go."

"That's not how we do things," Buffy said. "What if we attacked them while they're weak? We have the God-Killer."

Dee smiled. "You switched them. Apollo never had it."

"I thought he might double cross us. So to be safe, I was holding a different dagger."

"How are you?" Spike pulled down the collar of her dress to look at her stab wound. The hole was small but still bleeding.

"It's healing." Dee closed her eyes. "It'll take time until my power returns."

"But what if we attack them?" Buffy brought the topic back.

Dee seemed to have trouble concentrating. "It will be a full day to get up to strength, but in six hours they will be too strong to fight. Pan doesn't have power anymore, but he is still a good fighter. Zeus relies on his lightning, but it's too hard to aim. Mars is a melee fighter, but he's hot headed and it's easy to distract him or get him angry. Minerva is the dangerous one. She can direct the others while she shoots from the back. Selene and Hecate are sort of useless in battle. They can be distracting or do tricks, but without me and the Triple Goddess, they don't have much power."

"And Eris?"

"She might fight with us to prolong it, or she'll fight against us for the drama of betraying us after helping me escape. But without the God-Killer, all they can do is defeat me. They can kill you."

"So we escape with the dagger."

Dee shook her head. "They'll find you. And in a day they'll be able to fly faster than you can drive. You won't be able to hide for long."

"There has to be something," Buffy said.

Dee shook her head. "I'm not Minerva. I'm no good at strategy."

"Try." Spike said. "What would Minerva do?"

"She would choose the battleground."

"Alright. And then?"

"Get her powers back faster than a day."

"How do you do that?" asked Buffy.

"Similiar to vampires. Normally we don't need to regenerate like that-"

"Okay, what next?"

"Weapons. And then wait. But it won't make a difference."

"What if we destroy the dagger? Then they can't kill you and there won't be a reason to kill us."

"Maybe. They aren't benevolent. They might still kill you. And it is possible to turn immortality into a curse."

"Prometheus," Spike said.

"And that wasn't so bad. The dagger is our only weapon against them. But we can't risk them getting it."

"Because then they can kill you."

"Not just me. To be one blow away from killing anything and know you are invincible as long as you have it... you get paranoid and kill easily and often, just to be safe. Which will make others scheme to take it away."

"That's what happened with you."

Dee nodded. "But it would just keep going and going, no matter who had it. So maybe we should destroy it."

"Not to interrupt, but we're getting back into town and I need to know where we're going," Xander said.

"How much time do we have?" Buffy asked.

"At least a few hours."

"Take us to the shop. We'll prepare there."

The other cars followed them and when they arrived Buffy told Spike, "Get her some food. And I don't want to know how." Then she got out of the car and ushered everyone inside, filling them in.

"Come on, pet." He pulled an arm across his shoulders and supported her into standing. "So what's on the menu?" They started down the street. "Virgins, the elderly? Babies? I assume you don't want any cats. There's a Catholic school nearby and if they aren't the sweetest things you've ever tasted, then I need to meet your chef."

"It's not blood. I need power. Magic. A lot. Now."

Spike thought and then said, "Alright, I know where to go." And hurried down the street, into a sewer and hid her in an alcove. "Stay here and I'll bring you something to eat, Dru." He stopped. The situation was very similiar to when he took care of Drusilla. He had to push aside those memories and focus on the present. "I'll be back."

There was a vampire hangout nearby and Spike caught the attention of one and waved him over. "Shh. Follow me."

"Why? Everyone knows you're trouble."

"That's exactly it. I need help. I can barely get any decent food anymore." Spike pulled him back down the tunnel, making sure no one else saw. "I just need you to get me a few things."

"Like what?"

Spike led him into the alcove.

"Who's that?"

"How do you want him, pet?"

"On the ground." Dee sat up and Spike tripped the surprised vamp. Dee quickly straddled him.

"What is this?"

"Do I need to keep him alive?"

Spike was lighting a cigarette and blocking the exit. "No, don't worry about that."

"What?!"

Dee ripped his shirt open and put her palms on his chest. She hissed and arched her back as the vampire's life force drained into her. Spike wished he had some popcorn as he watched her. "And you're sure you're a virgin?"

She sighed and sat back. The vampire was still and then disintegrated beneather her, dropping her onto her butt.

"Feel better?"

"I need more."

"Coming up."

He lured another but had to help fight this one to keep her still long enough for Dee to drain her. After that Dee walked into the den herself and trapped several using exposed roots to grab them. She fought another and Spike took on the rest to give her time. Some decided to run and she finished the trapped vamps.

Spike watched her with an amused smile as she stood against the wall, ash on her hands, catching her breath.

"It's been a long time since I've done that."

"That was hot, love."

Dee chuckled. "Let's get back."


	16. Chapter 16

As they left the tunnels, Spike said, "You could have killed me like that."

"I could have killed you a lot of ways."

"You've been holding back since the beginning. Why? I bet you could have stolen the dagger by now."

"Not that first night."

"But after that."

He helped her climb out onto the street and she hoisted him up with one arm. "Where's the fun in that? I'm a hunter, not a killer. I only did what I did just now because we can't spare any time. Hurry."

"Diana." They turned to the woman's voice. She was hurrying up the street.

"Juno?" Dee stepped back. "Run." She and Spike fled back to the shop.

Once inside, Dee leaned against a wall and sank to the ground, holding her head. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit."

"What's wrong? Did it work?" Buffy asked.

Spike was catching his breath. "Yeah... she's... fully charged... just... ran into... Juno."

"What does that mean?" Willow asked.

"It means the others are here," Dee said, despairing. She lifted her head and tears fell. "They're all against me. Again."

Even Xander was moved to pity.

"But only because of the dagger, right?" Willow said. "If we destroy it, then they won't be afraid of you anymore. And they can't kill you."

"Maybe it would be easier if I were dead." Dee's voice was tone-less.

"No. What is with you people?" Spike said. "Do you just attract suicidal idiots? I've been a vampire nearly 200 years and until I came here I never met so many people willing to throw themselves into danger." He crouched in front of Dee. "Let's keep thinking before we do the hari-bloody-kari."

There was a knocking on the door. "Diana? Sweetheart, it's Juno. Let me in."

Dee stood, her face bloodless. "Don't let her in."

"Can't she just break in anyway?" Xander asked.

"I can, but I want us all to be calm and rational," Juno said. "Sweetie, I just want to help."

Dee was shaking her head.

Buffy shouted, "Go tell them we're going to destroy the dagger."

"No, we don't want that."

"We?" Dee accused.

"Not all of us want you to die, Diana, but no one wants the dagger destroyed."

"Since when are we friends? You hated my mother."

"I was jealous of all Zeus'... lovers."

"Well it wasn't exactly consentual with her and yet you blamed her. I didn't ask to be his bastard."

"I know that, sweetie, and I'd like to think we're past all that by now..."

Giles spoke up. "Maybe now isn't the time for... dealing with family issues."

"I agree. Just let me in and we can figure out a way to solve this without any more death. I know you don't want your new friends to get hurt."

Dee looked around at the group. "I guess not. We can't trust her. Apollo sent her. It's a trick."

"It can't hurt to listen to her. She can't hurt you and we still have the God-Killer." Buffy opened the door and Juno walked in.

"Thank you." She was tall middle-aged woman, fashionably dressed. "And your friend is right. Now is not the time to argue about the past."

Dee growled. "I hate how everything you say sounds so rational. You're just as twisted as the rest of them, but you're impossible to argue with."

"I don't want to argue. Now," she said," do you have the God-Killer?"

"Don't answer that."

"I'll assume you do."

Dee spun around in frustration. Juno tapped her thigh and Hound crept forward, wagging his tail when she pet him.

"Hound!" Dee scolded him and he slunk back to Tara with his tail between his legs.

Juno sighed, disappointed in Dee's behavior.

"Back to the topic at hand," Buffy stepped forward to take charge. "What do you suggest?"

"If Diana surrenders with the God-Killer, I can convince them not to harm her."

"No. We've been here before. First Apollo and Selene and Hecate and now her. They all lie. They all want me dead and they all want the dagger for themselves." Dee picked up her bow and an arrow. She cut her skin on the tip and then shot Juno in the shoulder.

"Ah!" Juno fell against the door, holding the arrow shaft.

Juno's face twisted in anger and she spat, "Don't ask for mercy, you won't get any!" And then she left.

"I thought mortal weapons couldn't hurt immortals," Anya said.

"But immortal blood makes a mortal weapon immortal. It can't kill, but it hurts."

"So you just need to bleed on everything and we can stand a chance," said Xander.

"Hold them off, but not defeat them."

"What if you made more God-Killing weapons?"

Dee shook her head. "One was bad enough. I need to destroy it."

"And I'm guessing that it's not as simple as snapping it in half," said Xander.

"I don't know what it'll take. I'll need time." She held out her hand to Buffy. Buffy wasn't sure Dee wouldn't take the God-Killer and run, abandoning them all, and a small part still worried that Dee might attack her with it.

But Spike was giving her a look and finally Buffy handed it over.

Dee took a moment to acknowledge the act of trust and said, "Thanks." Then she went to a corner and sat with the blade on the floor in front of her. Hound lay against her leg with his head on her knee.

"We did promise she'd get it," Buffy reminded herself. "Why don't you see if she needs any help?" she told Spike.

"Why me?"

"You two are friends. She trusts you. And I guess after meeting her family, I understand why that's so hard fro her. Go on. Sometimes it helps just to know you aren't alone."

Spike would have rathered stay at Buffy's side but thought it might gain him some points to obey.

Dee was holding the dagger in her palms with her eyes closed and Spike sat across from her. He waited for her to open her eyes to speak.

"Well?"

"It's hard to believe I created something so evil and strong."

"You were hurt. Apollo hurt you. How can we destroy it?"

"I wouldn't know except... we needed trust, compassion and love to take the poison out of Father's wound. I think I'll need that to take the poison out of the blade. Then it should be just a normal dagger."

"So we'll just all get in a circle, sing 'Kumbaya' a few times and we'll be done."

"I wish. I don't think I'm capable of those emotions anymore."

"You must have tonight, to heal your father."

"The other two helped a lot. And I did feel sorry for wounding him. But then Pan... and no one tried to stop him..." Dee covered her face and started to cry again.

Spike moved the dagger aside and hugged her. "You have had a bad night." He caught Buffy watching and had to ignore her. "But you trust me, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, there's a start. What were the other two?"

"Compassion."

"You aren't running away with the dagger. You want to make sure we don't get hurt. That's compassion."

"I guess."

"And love? Well, I did promise you a good shag."

Dee pulled away and wiped her eyes. "There's a difference between love and sex. You taught me that."

"What about Hound, then? He's a lovable chap."

"Yeah."

"So let's try."

"Okay. I need to feel all those things and it will cancel the dagger. And while I'm feeling those emotions, you need to stab my heart with it."

"What? I thought we decided no suicide."

"If it works, it'll just be another cut."

"And if it doesn't?"

"You'll need to trust me, too."

Spike didn't like it. She positioned them facing each other on their knees and put the tip of the blade over her other stab wound. She looked at Spike holding the dagger and with a steadying breath said, "Trust."

She looked around the room, at each of the people standing inside and with another breath said, "Compassion."

Spike looked down at Hound but she took hold of Spike's chin and pulled him into a kiss. He worried about accidentally stabbing her too soon but was distracted by the sweetness of the kiss. He was used to seducing with light kisses that grew frenzied, or skipping straight to lustful snogs. And none of his kisses with Dru had ever been so innocent. He felt this kiss could go on forever and remain just as pure.

Dee parted and whispered, "Love." And holding his hands on the dagger, stabbed herself.

She grimaced in pain and her aura blazed and fought with the dark smoke rising from the wound. She clenched Spike's arms and he tried to keep her upright without hurting her.

She twisted and gasped until the smoke disappated and her aura was clean, then she sat down, hard.

"Everything all right?" Spike asked.

Dee nodded and slowly drew out the dagger.

"It's gone."

"What if they don't believe us? What if they think we're just hiding it?" Willow asked.

"I'll surrender with it. Maybe Zeus will recognize it."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Maybe I should make some immortal weapons before I go." They gathered the items they wanted blessed and Dee wiped her blood on them.

"It really wouldn't hurt to have these, ah, immortal weapons handy. In our line of work," Giles said.

"Hopefully they won't come after you guys. Goodbye."

"Bye," they said back.

"Are you going after her?" Buffy asked Spike after she had left.

"Of course. Poor girl doesn't know what she's getting herself into. You should stay and help defend the shop, though."

"She loves you."

"I know."

"Do you love her?"

"I pity her. Because I know how she feels." Spike looked at Buffy for a sad moment and then followed after Dee.


	17. Chapter 17

Spike jogged up to Dee. "So where are we off to?"

"Spike."

"Now, I know what you're going to say. This is my fight, get out of here before you get hurt, what do you think you're doing, yadda yadda yadda."

Dee shrugged. "It's your choice. I'm kind of glad I won't be going into this alone."

"You're just saying that to be a twat. I had you pegged."

"Right. You know me inside and out."

He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "But, seriously, where are we going?"

"Somewhere out of the way. Where we won't be interrupted."

"Are you worried about civilian casualties?"

"If they're dumb enough to get involved when they see gods battling... I just can't afford to get distracted."

"This is what I love about you. All Buffy and her gang think about is human lives and protecting the stupid cows. It's nice to meet someone with a little perspective."

"I was thinking about going out of town before I signalled them. Do you have a better idea?"

"The cemetary is nearby. Humans are mostly afraid of it after dark and most vampires are smart enough to run away when the fireworks start."

"Alright. And it'll give me better cover if I decide to run."

"This way."

"I know which way it is."

* * *

When they arrived at the cemetary, she turned to Spike. "What do you plan to do when they get here? Are you going to just watch or what?"

"I don't know how useful I'll be, but if it looks bad, I'll jump in."

"Because if you want to fight, I have an idea. I want to turn you into an immortal weapon."

"I'm already immortal."

"But you can't hurt us and we can kill you. And if my blood can turn an arrow into something that will hurt a god, maybe it'll do the same for you."

"What are you saying?"

"Feed on me."

"Are you sure?"

"Wait for me to summon my powers and then bite."

"I haven't fed on anyone in a long time."

"I don't count, remember?"

"Are you sure it'll work?"

"No, but it's worth a try. But you'll have to hurry. They'll see my light and come." Dee closed her eyes and when they opened again, they glowed from her inner light. Her aura shifted like yellow frost. "Now," her voice echoed. Spike hesistated. Dee cut her neck and wiped the blood on his lips. The cut was already healing when he licked his lips. She tasted like sunshine. And the sight of dripping blood, attainable dripping blood, brought his vampire out and he had to restrain himself from pouncing and tearing her apart.

As it was, he could have been more gentle.

When it felt like the sunshine filled him, he managed to let go. He was glowing with a smoky orange fire.

"How do I turn it off?" he asked.

"Think normal thoughts."

"What do you mean normal-" the light went out. "Oh. Normal. Like that word has any meaning left for me."

Dee brought her aura down from blinding. "You might not want to be here for this."

"I'm not exactly the cowardly type."

"Suit yourself." Lights approached from the town. "Here they come."

Hera was with them and Mars and Apollo carried Pan through the air. They settled into a circle around Dee and Spike.

"That was a neat trick with the dagger, sister," Apollo said. "Do you have the real one?"

Dee threw it into the grass at his feet, making him jump back.

"I destroyed it. Ask Zeus if he recognizes it."

Minerva picked it up and showed it to Zeus. "It looks like it, but she's had time to make a duplicate." The dagger passed from one to another, circling around.

"A duplicate that Buffy didn't bother to use earlier?"

"I think she's telling the truth," Minerva said.

Hera was holding it. "This dagger has no aura."

"So it's a fake," Selene said.

"I mean, no aura at all. It was cleansed very recently."

"She could have done-"

"Would you shut up already?" Dee shouted at Zeus. "Argue all you want. Waste your time searching for it. I'm telling you it's gone. I don't care if you believe me. But the only reason I'm facing you now is because you can't hurt me."

Pan said, "Yes, we can," and grabbed Spike. "Apollo told me all about lover-boy, here."

Dee drew her swords. "Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"He's the only mortal."

"Got it."

They both turned and attacked. Mars blocked the blow meant for Hera and engaged Dee. Pan was surprised when Spike broke his hold and punched him in the face. Then Pan smiled and swung back at him.

Selene and Hecate pulled back and Minerva took out a celestial handgun. Dee moved Mars between them just as Minerva shot off a few rounds.

"Bitch, that hurt!" Mars shouted. "Put that thing away if you aren't going to help!"

Apollo drew his sword from the air and went after Spike. Pan saw him coming and jumped away for Apollo to have a clean shot. He drove the sword through Spike's chest.

"Ow!"

"This should keep you still until I find a nice wooden tree branch." Apollo pulled out the sword and Spike felt the wound heal instantly.

"You'd think I'd get tired of seeing that face but I never do," Spike said as he punched at Apollo's stunned look. He fought the both of them until Pan broke off a jagged branch and stabbed Spike in the back. The mortal wood simply broke and Spike let out a manic laugh and continued to fight.

"How are you still alive?" Apollo was furious and it was making his fighting sloppy.

"Don't you know? This is what happens when a vampire shags a goddess."

Apollo swung hard and missed, giving Spike the chance to kick him away and exchange blows with Pan.

"She was pure when she brought back Pan!"

"But not anymore. It doesn't take long to pop a cherry. But look who I'm talking to. You boys have probably dined and dashed more women than I can count." He turned to Pan. "Although in your case I guess that would be goats."

Their anger was the only thing unhinging them enough to let him keep on fighting the both of them at once.

Meanwhile, everyone else was focused on Dee. Minerva was trying to pick her shots but Dee using her extra sense to dodge them. Zeus sent out one lightning bolt that branched and hit everyone.

"Father!" Minerva gasped. "Sit this one out if you don't have anything new!"

Zeus grumbled about being incapacitated for several millenia and edged closer to Dee. Selene and Hecate were holding hands and chanting. But whatever they were conjuring died out as Eris pelted them with pinecones and then jumped on them, pulling their hair and scratching them. They shrieked and Eris chased them for a while and came back to watch.

Hera joined Mars with her own swords and Dee wasn't able to keep up. She was getting slashed and hit and was losing energy.

"You never could stand through a battle," Hera said. "I kicked your ass at Troy and you went crying home to your whore mother."

"It wouldn't bother you so much if Zeus wasn't the only man who could force himself fuck you."

Minerva found a clear shot and the three rounds in the chest knocked her backward and Mars easily tripped her. He took her weapons away and Hera and Zeus got in each other's way to pummel her.

Dee was crying and tried to fend them off.

"Hey!" Spike saw it and grabbed Pan and put him in a head lock. "Back off of her!"

Pan grabbed at Spike's arms, trying to dislodge him.

Apollo started to lunge and Spike tightened his grip. "Try it, sunshine! Let her up," he told the others.

"Dad!" Pan choked out.

They backed away from her and Zeus grabbed her hair and yanked her to her feet.

"Let go of her."

"Let go of my son."

"You know, you're all one Freudian wetdream. She's your daughter, too! I killed my family and we still looked like the rutting Cleavers compared to you lot. What are you even going to do with her? You can't kill her, not anymore."

"What we do is none of your business, vampire."

"You say that like it's an insult. I'm hurt."

"Let go of him."

"Or what? You'll kill her? You'll kill me? Because actually-" he started to pull Pan's head, making him yell. "You're the only one with something to lose."

Zeus let go of her and she stumbled to the side. She pushed her hair back and looked at them all.

"I'm sorry," she said, and fresh tears fell. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I was angry and Orion- I didn't mean for..." she reached for Zeus, who stepped back in disgust. She looked at each god and saw hate or contempt. Even Eris had cold eyes. Apollo might have felt pity but he looked away from her. Completely rejected, she sobbed.

"Ready, pet?" Spike asked, gently, though his grip on Pan didn't slacken.

Dee nodded and sniffed, wiped her face and tried to compose herself.

"Ready."

"Go!" Spike snapped Pan's neck and ran.


	18. Chapter 18

The trees flew past Spike and he leapt over tombstones. A doe appeared beside him and he was surprised to see that he paced her as she sprinted along. His head felt heavy and he realized he was a stag. He gave a deer honk and cleared the cemetary fence.

Lightning raked above them and the immediate thunder deafened them. Golden lances were thrown and sparked on the pavement near their legs, causing them to dodge. He couldn't look back, but he followed Dee down alleyways and up streets, trying to lose them. She stopped under an emergency fire escape and they watched Apollo on his chariot with Minerva driving go past.

Then, sides still heaving, they ran back until Dee was sure they had lost them. She changed them back into their bodies and Spike saw the sky was getting lighter.

"I need to get back," he said.

"They know where you sleep."

"Right."

"I want to show you one last thing before I go. Come on."

They climbed into the clock tower and Dee opened the east facing window. Spike moved to the shadow beside it, feeling very uncomfortable, even though the glass was white-washed.

"Come here." She pulled him to the window and leaned against his chest and put his arms around her.

"I'm not exactly into the suicide pacts," he said, getting nervous as the light blue sky turned cream.

"My blood is still in you. You'll be fine. It won't be permanent but-" the sun broke the horizon and though the light hurt his eyes for a moment, he didn't burn. "I wanted to give you something to remember me by. I figured I had time for a sunrise."

He had seen sunrises, the pretty clouds going from gold to orange to pink from safe angles. He had been out in the sun, carefully protected, and there was that brief time with the magical ring. But it had been ages since he'd seen the heart of a sunrise.

He held her tight and they watched it together. It felt so natural that he was kissing her ear and her cheek even before realizing it. She turned into him and there it was, that sweet kiss. He took her bum and pulled her tight and it wasn't sweet anymore. He kissed her neck and her fingers were in his hair and he said, "I love you."

Dee laughed and he stopped to look at her, a little hurt.

"That's not nice," he said.

She stroked his cheek and tried to suppress her smiling. "I'm sorry. But it's not true. Thanks for trying. Maybe... maybe when Buffy is gone. Old age, of course. I can wait. Come find me. And maybe it'll be true someday."

He knew she was right and they went back to watching the sun rise.

"This is the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen," Spike said.

"Apollo put in a lot of effort. This might be his way of apologizing."

"Do you forgive him?"

Dee sighed. "Should I?"

Spike shrugged against her shoulders. "It's up to you."

"The last time, he didn't say sorry and my bitterness led to the Sundering. Maybe it's better for everyone if I just accept his apology."

"Sounds good."

"You need to get back to the others before my blood wears off."

"Where will you go?"

Dee shrugged. "I hear the hunting is good in the Andes."

* * *

When they transformed into deer and ran from the cemetary Zeus ran to Pan and Apollo conjured his chariot to chase the doe and stag.

Minerva jumped up with him and the others gathered around the body.

Eris found a tombstone that gave her the perfect angle to see the tableau and held up her fingers as a frame.

Then she started her applause. "Bravo! Well done! Such drama!" She hopped down to sit on the edge of the stone and continued talking as the others stared at her with shock or disgust. "Now, you might think this is a tragedy, but give it a few minutes to sink in and you'll be laughing with me."

Hera grabbed the handgun from Minerva's holster and shot Eris off the tombstone.

"Ow."


End file.
